


Give Me What You Don't Know

by Highsmith (quimtessence)



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies), The Karate Kid (1984)
Genre: 1985, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Character Study, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Making Out, POV Alternating, POV Daniel LaRusso, POV Johnny Lawrence, POV Multiple, Post-Canon, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Yuletide 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21845032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quimtessence/pseuds/Highsmith
Summary: Going off to college sometimes means running into old foes. It ain't all bad, though.(Set after the first Karate Kid film.)
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso & Johnny Lawrence, Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 22
Kudos: 194
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Give Me What You Don't Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lyricalnights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyricalnights/gifts).



> @lyricalnights: I haven't watched the other films in the series since I was a kid, so obviously no knowledge of that side of canon is necessary here. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy holidays!
> 
> Title from "Think" by Kaleida.

"You've got to be kidding me."

No one's standing close enough to hear him say it, much less overhear him while casually walking by, not in this crowd, although he wouldn't give two shits if they did. He will concede his mom would like it more on the whole if he managed to behave himself on his first day of Orientation, but Johnny figures anyone else who's got an opinion can just shove it, or Johnny will easily shove it for them where the sun don't shine.

It's a moot point, though. No one's stopping. No one's listening in. No one knows him here. Except for the one person who could inadvertently fuck Johnny up in ways few people could. Because of course.

Through the window of space opening the crowd up he can see, of all the people currently living in California, Daniel LaRusso coming closer, because of _fucking_ course Daniel spots him, too. Because that's just how it goes for Johnny these days, huh?

Fists clenched in tension by his sides, he wills himself to untense, unwind, let it go. It's not worth it. It's not fair on Daniel either. It's a free country. The tendons in his hands ache when he finally does unclench. Johnny breathes out slowly and evenly, and waits.

*

He's pretty sure he's the one to spot Johnny first, which is a new one for Daniel when he's not hiding behind a shower cubicle costume. A complete reversal of their first ever meeting. But, unlike Johnny, Daniel isn't out to be a jerk about it. They're adults or whatever now. They can vote, so that's totally adult in his book, therefore he feels confident to walk over with a spring in his step. Despite all of the bullshit before the competition, the rest of senior year went by relatively smoothly. Any bad blood kind of just disappeared, water under the bridge and all that, Daniel quietly relieved the entire time and not questioning Johnny's intentions.

Funny thing is, he's not sure what he's gonna say. No clue. Bad planning there, Daniel, but it is what it is, and, in the end, he comes up with, "Hey, man. What's up?" Super lame. Like, the worst, most embarrassing thing ever, way too casual, never mind that they'd managed to figure their shit out towards the end of high school, especially after things fizzled out amicably between Ali and Daniel. They've never been friends, but ignoring each other during and outside of class turned into a calm nod once in a while, as if acknowledging they're both over the antagonism. It's not enough to back up Daniel being way too friendly right now, though, and he feels himself flushing unattractively the way he rarely does. 

For his part, Johnny looks him up and down, the sun shining off the gold strands in his hair, frowning all the while, before he manages a grouchy, "Not bad, LaRusso." Then, almost upset about having to actually ask, says, "How 'bout you?" And grouchy might be right, but Daniel believes he catches an undercurrent there that might be more Johnny being caught off guard than actually upset at them running into each other.

Regardless, Daniel's been over the enemies bullshit for the better part of a year now. "Good, good, settling in, enjoying college. You know."

Johnny nods. His sneakers scruff the edge of where the pavement ends. It's a shy gesture almost, or it would be coming from anyone other than Johnny Lawrence. And Daniel, if asked, would say he knows better, Johnny's not that kind, couldn't define shy if pressed, proverbial gun to his head and all that, but that's the feeling he's getting from the gesture nonetheless.

Staring at each other wordlessly for several long moments is what happens next. Oddly enough, it's not what Daniel wants. It's weird, but he wants to _talk_. Doesn't matter about what, as long as it's Johnny doing some talking, too. Thing is, Daniel doesn't know anyone else here, not even his roommate, having missed him upon his arrival. Might as well be Johnny if it's gonna be anyone. He knows Johnny pretty darn well compared to any single person here, and that's a fact, capital F. Plus, safety in numbers as Daniel always says.

*

He ends up making his way through Orientation with Daniel LaRusso. So fucking lame.

The words, _What are you even doing, LaRusso_ , don't come out of his mouth when Daniel asks him to join him. They live in the same Hall, which is something he realised right after running into him based on the colour of their folders. It's not what Johnny had in mind his first day of college, but Daniel insists, and Johnny gives in despite himself, and they end up spending the day together. Johnny doesn't hate it. Whatever.

He only ponders the competition and Daniel's winning once or twice the entire day. He's forgotten what it's like to doubt himself, actively, to compare his skill to others, to wonder whether he got cheated out of something. To wonder at how much of it was just bad luck on his part. Good luck not coming his way, going to the other guy for no reason at all.

Still, a great deal of it, too damn much, wasn't just luck but actual skill and hard work. Johnny has loads of both, but Daniel had— What? Wanted it more? So did Johnny. But Daniel also worked hard, had the potential to get there, and so he did.

But such thoughts are fleeting. Daniel talks too damn much and far too animatedly for Johnny to focus on anything else for too long.

*

He couldn't tell you whether Johnny's, like, changed or whatever. He doesn't try to beat him up even once, so that's a positive as far as Daniel's concerned. And he looks calmer on the whole, though that's not such a big change from the end of senior year. Daniel's enjoying his company a whole lot, which is definitely new. Go figure. If Ma could only see them now. Though maybe that's inadvisable. The two of them never were fit for public viewing, unless karate was involved, breaching the gap between them, filling in the gaps lest something else got in the middle, be it Ali or... something else entirely. Daniel has trouble putting his finger on it, but such thoughts fly away when there's so much to see and discover of the campus.

By the end of the day, Johnny even walks him to his dorm room door, which is definitely not something that Johnny from a year ago would have done, though a voice at the back of Daniel's head sort of tells him that's not something that Johnny should be doing regardless of whether they're all buddy-buddy now. Like, it's pointless. Why walk a random guy home? They live in the same building, after all, never mind anything else.

But. Well. Daniel doesn't mind. It's kind of, maybe, for no obvious reason, sort of sweet. Very Johnny in a weird way. Not weird at all once he thinks about it for more than a second. Johnny looks vaguely uncomfortable about it, truth be told, but he's been looking kind of off throughout the entire day, probably still in shock at running into Daniel of all people at college of all places.

"Thanks," Daniel says as Johnny lingers by the threshold, which occurs to him is basically acknowledging that Johnny did walk him home after all, suddenly making it genuinely awkward judging by how frozen Johnny looks for several moments. Daniel almost cringes. But the moment passes quickly enough that it doesn't leave much of a dent in the rest of the day, not for Daniel.

"No problem, Danielle." The words don't have anything mean beneath them, just companionable snark and Johnny's half-smile, the one Daniel's always liked and could only appreciate once they moved on from the bullshit from the start.

"Yeah," he replies, totally lamely. But Johnny laughs, and his eyes sort of track Daniel's face. It's not the worst thing.

In fact, Daniel's feeling bold because of it, genuinely finding the spunk to say, "Same time tomorrow?"

He doesn't know what he expects. Johnny looking constipated for a long moment is not an unwarranted reaction, though.

Finally, he does receive a reply in the form of Johnny crisply and clearly saying, "Yeah, all right." It's almost as if it's not the worst for him either.

*

Daniel LaRusso is totally the weirdest fucking guy. Johnny has extensive knowledge regarding this. A year of high school together means he's been privy to various embarrassingly annoying moments involving Daniel being sort of lame and awkward and such an utter goof you ran the risk of catching second-hand embarrassment on his behalf three quarters of the time. Daniel's also not a bad guy. Quite the opposite. Which is not in any way a shock, but tangible proof is different than a suspicion based on circumstantial evidence.

Which means it's easy for Johnny to say he'd meet him again the next day. And the next. And, the next thing _Johnny_ knows, Orientation is behind them and classes have started and they end up sharing three of them this semester alone, and Johnny isn't angry about it. Once again, it's kind of the opposite.

He guesses college really is about growing up, then. Sort of. If growing up means he ends up walking Daniel to his next class each time one of the ones they share lets out. Or if it totally happens, completely unplanned on Johnny's part, that they end up making out the first weekend after classes start at a party they both attend, but that's, like, totally normal college stuff. And Daniel is into it. Johnny can tell. And Johnny is into it, too, very much so, so it's all perfectly all right.

It's hot and heavy too quick, but Johnny doesn't mind, and Daniel doesn't seem to mind either, so, yeah, totally normal college stuff.

*

The voice at the back of Daniel's head should be screaming at him about how inviting Johnny over to spend the night should not be happening. Instead, his brain is actively sabotaging him, and he utters the words, "Wanna stay over," against Johnny's mouth, because his face is also sabotaging him by kissing Johnny far too enthusiastically to stop in order to say the words like a normal person, or even phrase them as a question.

Biting Johnny's lip in the hallway of their dorm, his back against his own door, his roommate probably on the other side of it, is also a bad plan, and not something a normal person should be doing _at all_ , for various reasons, mostly to do with guys not getting to kiss other guys and public places being the worst ever places for that if guys _were_ to kiss guys and probably some other reasons besides. But maybe Johnny's brain is also sabotaging him, because he mumbles something that sounds like, "Get the door."

They stumble inside to find that Daniel's roommate is out, probably attending a party of his own, or perhaps the same one they left early. Whatever. Daniel couldn't give two shits when he's got Johnny kicking the door shut behind them and locking it securely before pushing him further into the room and up against the wall next to his bed.

They don't do much more than make out that night. Johnny doesn't sleep over, which might be for the best. Instead, he spends several hours sucking on Daniel's tongue and grinding their hips together against the wall to begin with and on the bed later on with their shirts off. It kind of blows Daniel's mind a little bit, but Johnny leaves before there's any other kind of blowing, and Daniel has to triple-check his door is locked once he's alone again before he unzips his jeans and relieves some of the tension.

He thinks he's going to have trouble looking Johnny in the eye the next day, and while he does blush like a fiend the entire time the conversation's just as easy as it's been since day one of Orientation, only now he can buy Johnny a coffee and brush his hand against his when he hands it over. He thinks Johnny's going to let him kiss him some more later, and maybe they can do more later still. Because sometimes you meet someone again and they're not the person you thought they were.

Daniel's all right with that.

**Author's Note:**

> ETA 01/01/2020: And my [ tumblr](https://rhubarbdreams.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
